HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) CME Test (opens in a new window) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Omar, I. M. Articles by Meyers, W. C. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Omar, I. M. Articles by Meyers, W. C. Related Collections Magnetic Resonance Imaging Musculoskeletal Radiology

Athletic Pubalgia and "Sports Hernia": Optimal MR Imaging Technique and Findings¹

¹ From the Department of Radiology, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, 676 N Saint Clair St, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60611 (I.M.O.); Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pa (A.C.Z., D.B., A.G.G., W.B.M.); Department of Radiology, Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Dublin, Ireland (E.C.K.); Gold Coast Medical Imaging, Queensland, Australia (G.K.); and Department of Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pa (W.C.M.). Recipient of a Cum Laude award for an education exhibit at the 2006 RSNA Annual Meeting. Received November 30, 2007; revision requested February 25, 2008, and received March 27; accepted April 11. All authors have no financial relationships to disclose. Address correspondence to I.M.O. (e-mail: imran.omar{at}nmff.org).

Groin injuries are common in athletes who participate in sports that require twisting at the waist, sudden and sharp changes in direction, and side-to-side ambulation. Such injuries frequently lead to debilitating pain and lost playing time, and they may be difficult to diagnose. Diagnostic confusion often arises from the complex anatomy and biomechanics of the pubic symphysis region, the large number of potential sources of groin pain, and the similarity of symptoms in athletes with different types or sites of injury. Many athletes with a diagnosis of "sports hernia" or "athletic pubalgia" have a spectrum of related pathologic conditions resulting from musculotendinous injuries and subsequent instability of the pubic symphysis without any finding of inguinal hernia at physical examination. The actual causal mechanisms of athletic pubalgia are poorly understood, and imaging studies have been deemed inadequate or unhelpful for clarification. However, a large-field-of-view magnetic resonance (MR) imaging survey of the pelvis, combined with high-resolution MR imaging of the pubic symphysis, is an excellent means of assessing various causes of athletic pubalgia, providing information about the location of injury, and delineating the severity of disease. Familiarity with the pubic anatomy and with MR imaging findings in athletic pubalgia and in other confounding causes of groin pain allows accurate imaging-based diagnoses and helps in planning treatment that targets specific pathologic conditions.

© RSNA, 2008